12
Many of you doubtless drive along Blounts Court Road past the Johnson Mat- they site on a regular basis without realis- ing what lies behind the façade. Behind the relatively uninspiring looking modern block housing some of our laboratories, is a beautiful house with a very interesting history. A house is known to have stood here since 1287. In 1465, it was sold to Tho- mas Stonor and remained in the Stonor family until the early 18 th Century. The Stonors were a well known Roman Catholic family who supported the King during the Civil War. During and after the Civil War the Stonor family suffered financially and, in addi- tion, Blount’s Court was set on fire by Cromwell’s soldiers. In 1660, the monarchy was restored and the Stonors returned. The last record of the Stonor family in connection with Blount's Court is in 1701. Over the next 20 years it appears to have been leased sev- eral times until in 1852 it was acquired by the Knollys family, who owned it until the end of the 19 th Century. The final period during which the house continued as a private residence began in 1933 when it was purchased by the Hon Arthur Peel and his wife, Lady Agnes, who, along with their son and daughter, used the house as a weekend retreat. The gardener employed by the Peels was able to provide an interesting insight into life at Blount’s Court during this period; infor- mation on the layout of the house and Summer 2009 Editorial Welcome to our Summer edition of Pep- pard News. We hope you will find the above article about Blount’s Court inter- esting. If anyone has memories of having worked there, either during AMF or Brooke Bond days, we would like to hear from you. Similarly, if anyone has any further historical notes regarding Blount’s Court, do please let us know. Before Brooke Bond left Blount’s Court at the end of 1974, their Administration Manager (Eric Rendell) researched and wrote a comprehensive 'History of Blount’s Court'. I have a copy of this and it makes very interesting reading. I was his secretary at the time and pains- takingly typed his handwritten manu- script, duplicated and then bound the finished tome - no computers/word processors in those days! A copy is held by Henley Library and can be viewed on request. Don't forget to check our website for updates on local events over the summer holidays (and beyond) and thanks to those people who have left comments on the Guestbook. Susan Carter what the rooms were used for. These included a Servants’ Hall for the many live-in staff and a Butler’s Pantry. He was also able to describe the grounds as they were at that time with tennis courts, a croquet lawn and a magnificent pavil- ion mounted on a turntable. It must have been a very privileged way of life. When Lady Peel died in 1960, the prop- erty and 8.2 acres was sold to the Ameri- can Machine Foundry Ltd. The house was converted into laboratories before it was sold to Brooke Bond Tea Ltd in 1964. Block 1 was added in 1968 and further building was completed in 1972. After Brooke Bond Leibig moved, the site was acquired by Johnson Matthey in 1975. It is interesting to reflect on the history attached to a house such as Blount’s Court. Unfortunately, very little is known, apart from some tantalising glimpses. During some renovation work in the 1960s, some panelling was removed to reveal an old fireplace and beside it, an oak window frame with herringbone brick below. Both features are thought to date from the reign of Elizabeth I. During the course of more rebuilding work in the 1990s, a document was found hidden in a wall. This proved to be a Marriage Settlement Deed dated 1605 referring to the marriage be- tween William Knollys, Earl of Banbury and Lady Elizabeth How- ard. Both families were well con- nected and highly regarded in royal circles. Following the birth of two sons, controversy raged over their paternity and they were denied the Banbury title. How this document came to be at Blount’s Court is a matter of speculation and the true reason will probably never be known. In 2004, it was deposited at the Bodleian Library in Oxford where, in view of the aristocratic families involved and the issue of the Knollys family’s right to the Banbury title, it is regarded as a very important original historical document. It is rumoured that Charles I planted a tulip tree in the grounds which stood until the early 1900s. But we will never know for certain! A follow up article on Johnson Matthey at Blount’s Court will appear in the next issue of Peppard News. Anne McGuigan Blount’s Court Peppard News is a community newspaper published by Rotherfield Peppard PCC with financial support from Peppard Parish Council, and is distributed free to almost all households in the ecclesiastical and civil parishes of Peppard. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the PCC or RPPC unless stated as such. Peppard News is also available by e-mail. Issues: March, June, September & December Editor: Susan Carter, Well Cottage, Kingwood Common, RG9 5NB. e-mail: [email protected] www.PeppardNews.co.uk Contributions accepted via e-mail or post to Penny Harvey, 12 Shiplake Bottom, Peppard, RG9 5HL Advertising: Ian Fraser - phone: 01491 629631 Printed by Trinity Creative Resources Swallowfield RG7 1TH

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Page 1: Blount’s Court Summer 2009 - Microsoftbtckstorage.blob.core.windows.net/site841/Past Issues...Summer 2009 Editorial Welcome to our Summer edition of Pep-pard News. We hope you will

Many of you doubtless drive alongBlounts Court Road past the Johnson Mat-they site on a regular basis without realis-ing what lies behind the façade. Behindthe relatively uninspiring looking modernblock housing some of our laboratories, isa beautiful house with a very interestinghistory.A house is known to have stood here since1287. In 1465, it was sold to Tho-mas Stonor and remained in theStonor family until the early 18th

Century. The Stonors were a wellknown Roman Catholic familywho supported the King duringthe Civil War. During and afterthe Civil War the Stonor familysuffered financially and, in addi-tion, Blount’s Court was set onfire by Cromwell’s soldiers. In1660, the monarchy was restoredand the Stonors returned. The lastrecord of the Stonor family inconnection with Blount's Court isin 1701. Over the next 20 years itappears to have been leased sev-eral times until in 1852 it wasacquired by the Knollys family, whoowned it until the end of the 19th Century.The final period during which the housecontinued as a private residence began in1933 when it was purchased by the HonArthur Peel and his wife, Lady Agnes,who, along with their son and daughter,used the house as a weekend retreat. Thegardener employed by the Peels was ableto provide an interesting insight into life atBlount’s Court during this period; infor-mation on the layout of the house and

Summer 2009

Editorial Welcome to our Summer edition of Pep-pard News. We hope you will find theabove article about Blount’s Court inter-esting. If anyone has memories of havingworked there, either during AMF orBrooke Bond days, we would like to hearfrom you. Similarly, if anyone has anyfurther historical notes regarding Blount’sCourt, do please let us know.

Before Brooke Bond left Blount’s Court atthe end of 1974, their AdministrationManager (Eric Rendell) researched andwrote a comprehensive 'History of

Blount’s Court'. I have a copy of thisand it makes very interesting reading. Iwas his secretary at the time and pains-takingly typed his handwritten manu-script, duplicated and then bound thefinished tome - no computers/wordprocessors in those days! A copy is heldby Henley Library and can be viewed onrequest.

Don't forget to check our website forupdates on local events over the summerholidays (and beyond) and thanks tothose people who have left comments onthe Guestbook.

Susan Carter

what the rooms were used for. Theseincluded a Servants’ Hall for the manylive-in staff and a Butler’s Pantry. Hewas also able to describe the grounds asthey were at that time with tennis courts,a croquet lawn and a magnificent pavil-ion mounted on a turntable. It must havebeen a very privileged way of life.When Lady Peel died in 1960, the prop-

erty and 8.2 acres was sold to the Ameri-can Machine Foundry Ltd. The housewas converted into laboratories before itwas sold to Brooke Bond Tea Ltd in1964.Block 1 was added in 1968 and furtherbuilding was completed in 1972. AfterBrooke Bond Leibig moved, the site wasacquired by Johnson Matthey in 1975.It is interesting to reflect on the historyattached to a house such as Blount’sCourt. Unfortunately, very little is

known, apart from some tantalisingglimpses.During some renovation work in the1960s, some panelling was removed toreveal an old fireplace and beside it, anoak window frame with herringbone brickbelow. Both features are thought to datefrom the reign of Elizabeth I.During the course of more rebuildingwork in the 1990s, a document was found

hidden in a wall. This proved to bea Marriage Settlement Deed dated1605 referring to the marriage be-tween William Knollys, Earl ofBanbury and Lady Elizabeth How-ard. Both families were well con-nected and highly regarded in royalcircles. Following the birth of twosons, controversy raged over theirpaternity and they were denied theBanbury title. How this documentcame to be at Blount’s Court is amatter of speculation and the truereason will probably never beknown. In 2004, it was deposited atthe Bodleian Library in Oxfordwhere, in view of the aristocraticfamilies involved and the issue of

the Knollys family’s right to the Banburytitle, it is regarded as a very importantoriginal historical document.It is rumoured that Charles I planted atulip tree in the grounds which stood untilthe early 1900s. But we will never knowfor certain!A follow up article on Johnson Matthey atBlount’s Court will appear in the nextissue of Peppard News.

Anne McGuigan

Blount’s Court

Peppard News is a community newspaper publishedby Rotherfield Peppard PCC with financial supportfrom Peppard Parish Council, and is distributed freeto almost all households in the ecclesiastical andcivil parishes of Peppard. Views expressed are notnecessarily those of the PCC or RPPC unless statedas such.

Peppard News is also available by e-mail.

Issues: March, June, September & December

Editor: Susan Carter,Well Cottage, Kingwood Common, RG9 5NB.

e-mail: [email protected]

www.PeppardNews.co.ukContributions accepted via e-mail or post to PennyHarvey, 12 Shiplake Bottom, Peppard, RG9 5HLAdvertising: Ian Fraser - phone: 01491 629631

Printed by Trinity Creative ResourcesSwallowfield RG7 1TH

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Page 2

Our Schools

WEE-COT SEATING Upholstery, Loose Covers, Replacement Cushions,

Chair Caning, French Polishing and Furniture Repairs

LIZANNE SMITH Tel/fax 0118 972 4560

Peppard C of E Primary School

Peppard Common RG9 5JU Phone: 01491 628354

Head Teacher - Anne Jarvis Chairman of the Governors

David Sell

HOBBS OF HENLEY LTD THE BOAT PEOPLE at HENLEY-on-THAMES

DAY BOAT HIRE - PASSENGER BOAT AND PARTY HIRERepairs, Fuels & ServiceBOAT & ENGINE SALES

Established over 130 years - Telephone (sales) 01491 572 035

Tel: 0118 972 3728

• Bathroom fitting

• Electrical TV/FM & BT points

• Plumbing

• Paperhanging

• Painting & Decorating

• Tiling

Michael Barlow - 30 years’ experience

Hunton CottageGallowstree Road Peppard CommonHenley-on-Thames RG9 5JB

www.michaelbarlowpropertymaintenance.co.uk

News from Peppard C Of E Primary School

Term Five has seen the gradual appear-ance of summer at Peppard PrimarySchool. With the arrival of the warmerweather, the children have enjoyed moretime playing on the Common at lunchtimes and the teachers have been able touse our beautiful environment to supportthe children’s learning.

This term, of course, is notable for thestart of the SATS tests. We are very proudof the positive attitude that the childrenhave maintained throughout this time andcongratulate them on all their hard work.It was really pleasing then to beable to offer an alternative, lessstructured period of learningthrough the range of residentialvisits that have taken place.

Mrs Jarvis took Year 6 for aweek-long stay at The Manor inShropshire. The weather was kindto them and Mrs Jarvis reportedthat fun was had by all witheveryone going with gusto forevery challenge set them; be itarchery, hill walking or abseiling.

Charlotte Ayers writes:

‘My favourite part of The Manorwas definitely the High Ropes. Iwasn’t sure about doing it but still wentup even though I felt like I was going todie! When I finally got back to earth I feltwonderful, as if I was the bravest girl onthe planet!’

Year 5, accompanied by Mr Sharpe andMrs Harrison, spent two nights away atKilve Court in Somerset. Once there, theyenjoyed a variety of activities from utilis-ing their artistic skills to make willowsculptures, to putting their collective bestfoot forward during a stream walk.

Mr Sharpe and Mrs Jarvis once again gave

their time to accompany Year 4 to Chil-tern Study Centre in Buckinghamshirewhere the children became engrossed intheir surroundings. They visited the vil-lage of Ivinghoe looking for clues as tothe village’s history. In continuing theirenvironmental studies they visited anearby watermill.

Meanwhile back at school the Founda-tion children joined forces with Years 1and 2 to find out about the life cycle of abutterfly. Each child, with the help ofMiss Hudson and Mrs Gordon, nurtureda caterpillar through its period of pupa-tion and then marvelled at the transfor-mations that took place as the butterflieslater emerged from their chrysalises. Onthe last day of term all gathered on theCommon to release the butterflies intothe wide blue yonder. Many of the but-terflies seemed reluctant to part from

Photo courtesy of the Henley Standard

The Royal British Legion The RBL is a Caring Force. Would you like to be part of it? As a

Collector for the Poppy Appeal? As a Caseworker or Fund Raiser? All are welcome to join us, many are eligible for our

help. Please phone Nick Launders if you would like to know more.

01491 628243 or email him at [email protected]

The Rainbow Children’s Centre,

The Rainbow Children’s Centre is a newPhase 3 Children’s Centre in Oxfordshireand has been delivering services sinceSeptember 2008, but now would like tospread the word far and wide.

We are working closely with Health,Housing, Jobcentre Plus, Library services,pre-schools, schools and many other ser-vice providers.

We are committed to parents’ and carers’involvement in the developing of the ser-vices we provide and some have comealong to the advisory group. The staff andvolunteer team are great and create awarm and welcoming atmosphere foreveryone, especially the children!

Current activities run and supported by thecentre include Rainbow music groups atSonning Common village hall on Tues-days at 14.00. There is also a local post-natal group in Sonning Common. We pro-vide outreach work to many familiesacross the area and have recently pur-chased a nine seater vehicle through Ox-fordshire Rural Community Council fund-ing and can now provide transport forfamilies to attend regular sessions.

All the sessions are free-of-charge, withjust a recommended 50p donation fordrinks/fruit.

We are really looking forward to the runup to designation, potentially later in 2009and to seeing what the future holds…

If you would like further details pleasecontact Fran Bunkall on 01491 635739 [email protected].

Gordon Glass

their carers as they sat on the children’sfingertips, slowly exercising their wings inreadiness for flight, much to the delight ofthe children.

Rosie Clinkard

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Page 3

Do you need an Accountant?

Phone Keith Jefferies ACMAon 0118-9722611 or 07749-415264for a free initial consultation

• Self assessment • Accounts• VAT • Companies House returns• Corporation tax returns • Business advice

CHIROPODY HOME VISITING SERVICE

For enquiries & appointments callHeidi Snookes-Owen

B.Sc., D.Pod.M., M.Ch.S.,S.R.Ch.HPC REGISTERED

0118 9242677

Painting, decorating Door & window fitting

Plumbing & fitted bathrooms Wood & laminate flooring

Floor & wall tiling Sheds—Supplied & fitted

Fascias, soffits Garden Maintenance

Guttering, flat roofing Fencing & decking, etc.

GRAHAM’S MAINTENANCE

Free estimates0118 972 3114

Peppard Mother, Baby and Toddler Group

We are made up of parents, grandparentsand carers who meet every Tuesday dur-ing term time from 09.45 to 11.45 at Pep-pard War Memorial Hall on GallowstreeRoad. We welcome everyone from nearand far, from Mums with newborn babieslooking for somewhere to meet withfriends, or to make new friends, to thosewith pre-schoolers looking for somewherefor them to burn off some energy, whilethey have a coffee and a chat with others.We have lots of toys to play with, a cosybaby corner, crafts and activities, storytime and singing.

This term, one of the mums launched afund-raising Grow a Giant Sunflower forGuatemala competition. The childreneach planted a sunflower seed in a pot andthe child who has the tallest sunflower onIndependence Day in Guatemala (15thSeptember) will win a book. The competi-tion was also run at the Sonning CommonBaby and Toddler Group and a fantastic£117.58 was raised for ASOFAMILIA, asmall Guatemalan charity. ASOFAMILIAwill put the money towards setting upsmall community pharmacies sellingcheaper generic medicines. MarisolEsquivel, the Director, wrote: ‘A millionthanks to you all for your generosity.Your kindness made me cry with happi-ness.’ So when you next see a giant sun-flower in a local garden. it might havehelped someone in Guatemala have accessto cheap medicines, as well as helpingchildren here develop an interest in gar-dening. If anyone would like more infor-mation about this very worthwhile pro-ject, please contact Kathryn [email protected].

For further information about the ToddlerGroup contact Emma Dag email [email protected] or on 0118 9242821

Snippets Local Pub Review

The Hare & Hounds I was recently instructed by my wife tovisit the Hare and Hounds Pub in Son-ning Common for lunch. I was to take afriend with me and we were to order amain course, dessert and coffee. I wasalso to discretely note down variousdetails such as price of food and menuchoices and to report back on my experi-ence in the form of a full pub review.

Owing to selective hearing, memory, orpossibly both, I failed miserably on themajority of instructions but am happilyable to recall the essential information.

It was a Tuesday lunchtime when myfriend and I visited and we were made tofeel welcome by the landlord. The pub isbasic but clean and has a good children’splay area, barbecue and some rather nicetrees and shrubs that make it seem faraway from Sonning Common andSomerfields.

As we made our choices from the selec-tion of affordable dishes on the menumy friend declared his pint ofBrakspears ‘excellent’. Our food arrivedafter 15 minutes and I was very im-pressed with my generous portion oflamb shank with its rich, dark, flavour-some gravy. The meat was falling offthe bone as slow cooked lamb shouldand was served with a superb selectionof cabbage, broccoli, carrots and newpotatoes - all for just £6.95.

My friend enjoyed his large cheese-burger with salad and chips (£5.95), hisonly criticism: it was ‘not quite as good’as his own homemade burger. Fortu-nately the ‘excellent and freshly cooked’chips were just how he liked them.

After such generous portions we weretoo full to sample desserts, and I musthave forgotten that I was meant to sam-

ple the coffee, but I’m pleased to reportthat I would be happy to make a returnvisit to gather this information(unfortunately not in time for publicationdate).

This clean and pleasant pub may not bebursting with ‘olde worlde’ charm or gas-tro-pub chalkboards, but it does offergood value pub food that’s more than amatch for many far more expensive pubsin the area.

A Contributor

Elephant Sighted in Springwood!

One of our readers was recently taking awalk in Springwood and came across themonument where the spring in Spring-wood rises to the surface. The childrenwere fascinated by the outline of an ele-phant carved into the stonework - whatwas the significance of this fine carving?Answers please to Peppard News(PeppardNews@aol,com)

Oakley Wood The Recycling Centre is due to open atthe end of June. Please phone SODCPublic Amenities Refuse & Waste Recy-cling Tel: 01491 823416 for further infor-mation.

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The Councils Page 4

Parish Council Chairman: Nick Launders

01491 628243Parish Clerk: Barbara Marston

01491 684188Website: www.rppc.org.uk

SODC Councillors: Paul Harrison0118 972 2665

& Alan Rooke—01491 572919OCC Councillor: Carol Viney

01491 680887

Rotherfield Peppard Parish Council usuallymeets on 2nd Monday of the month at 19.30in the Pavilion, though there is no meeting

in August. Parishioners may attend andobserve, and may raise briefly issues of

concern to them. All may attendintermediate planning meetings as well - see

Diary for dates and times.

23 Stevens LaneRotherfield PeppardHenley on ThamesOxfordshire RG9 5RG

Tel: 01491 628049/628052Mob: 0771 3622636

e-mail: [email protected]

Ann’s Pet Care Furry Friends

Dog Walking/BoardingSmall Animal

Boarding

Grounds Maintenance, Grass Cutting, Hedge & Tree Work

Country Estates, Private Homes, Local BusinessesLocal References

01491 826925 07977 237798

Carol Viney Our congratulations to Carol Viney whowas re-elected as our County Councilloron 4th June with 66.25% of the vote. Shereceived 1,843 votes.

District Councillor’s Report Shared Management The council has shared services of Fi-nance and Benefits with the Vale of theWhite Horse District Council for morethan two years so it made sense to have ashared management structure in place.David Buckle has been appointed as ashared Chief Executive. Steve Bishop,Matt Prosser and Anna Robinson are theStrategic Directors, a reduction of four tothree. Eight Heads of Service have beenappointed (a reduction from fourteen) andtook up their new roles on 3rd March.

This shared management team is due tosave both councils more than £750,000 ayear, with a saving of over £400,000 toSouth Oxfordshire District Council.

Top Council South Oxfordshire District Council is offi-cially one of the best councils to work forin the country, according to the ‘TimesBest Council to Work For award 2008’.We came in at number 11 out of 95 coun-cil entries.

It was a tough competition, which in-volved a searching examination of whatstaff do and how they feel about workingat the council. The judges particularlypraised the council for its commitment toproviding a healthy work-life balance forstaff, as well as offering excellent trainingopportunities and supporting staff socialevents.

New Waste Contract On Monday 8th June Verdant took thewaste collection contract from Grundens,who have performed magnificently overthe last few years. Our collection day re-mains on Wednesday.

There have been issues; particularly with

the ‘rollout’ of the wheelie bins to ter-raced properties and flats. There havealso been issues due to the difficulty ofmoving the bins up and down steps orslopes on some properties. Finally thesize of the green recyclable bin has beenan issue for those who are physically frailor infirm.

A lot of these problems have been re-solved but it will take time for the newservice to bed in. There is talk of asmaller green bin for those who find thelarge recyclable bin too big for their usebut as yet these bins are not available.

If any of you has a physical difficultywith moving these bins, you should con-tact the Council (Tel 03000 610610) whocan replace the bin with sacks providedby the council. These are also colourcoded to allow you to split your recycla-ble and food waste from your residualwaste. Hence you will still be able to helpimprove our overall recycling rates.

It is important that we, as a district, im-prove our recycling rates and those coun-cils with the best recycling rates all havea wheelie bin service.

Concessionary Fares for the Over 60s Last April the Government introduced afree bus pass for the over 60s. In our casethe Government gave £319,000 per yearto South Oxfordshire District Council for

this service. Unfortunately the cost of thisservice is a lot more, so this year we havehad to put an extra £233,000 into this ser-vice to make up the shortfall. One mayask how the Government made such amiscalculation as the majority of districtcouncils have been hit with a massiveincrease above the grant given to them.My view is the Government did not buildin any increase in take up of the servicewhen it was rolled out nationally. We arenot as badly effected as many touristtowns on the south coast. For some ofthese councils the shortfall is in manymillions.

Council Tax Despite the current economic problems,the council set a council tax below infla-tion increase of 2.9%. This is one of thelowest in the South East.

Paul Harrison District Councillor

Grants Received The Parish Council would like to thankvarious bodies for grants given to thecouncil during 2008/09.

The Sports Pavilion has been refurbished,given a new coat of paint and has a newmodern kitchen, which meets all safetystandards. It is a very charming hall withsports facilities, including a sports field,which can be hired from the Parish Coun-cil.

We received £800 for new flooring fromthe Chiltern Educational Community As-sociation and a further £1,000 from theDoris Field Trust.

Chiltern Conservation Board gave us agrant of £250 to replace old fruit trees andto improve the variety of different fruits inCarlings Orchard. 15 small trees werepurchased and it is hoped that in a fewyears people in Peppard will harvest andshare the fruit in a 'food for free' initia-tive.

Cherry Postlethwaite

Jamie Corrie It is with great sadness that we report thetragic death of Jamie Corrie who servedon the Parish Council for many years. Hewas the victim of a road accident as hewas travelling to the Le Mans 24 HourEndurance motor race in France.

We send our condolences and sympathiesto his wife, Laura, and children, Josh andLucinda.

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More Snippets Page 5

Cliff Stevens Chauffeur Service

Specialising in Transfers to Airports, Docks, etc.

Chauffeur Driven Lexus LS430Mobile: 0786 024 9943 Tel: 0118 972 4260

e-mail: [email protected]

Peppard General Builders Loft conversions - Extensions All Building work undertaken

Local Builder Tel: 07856 112229 or 01491 628954

Christian Aid 2009 The house to house collection duringChristian Aid Week in May amounted to£1,401. Christian Aid also benefited fromthe retiring collections at the Mélodiesconcert at All Saints’ in March, and theperformance of Stainer’s Crucifixion at StBartholomew’s Church, Nettlebed, inApril. When all this is taken into account,together with reclaimable Gift Aid tax, thelocal community has donated a very gen-erous £2,265 to enable Christian Aid tocontinue its work of fighting against pov-erty and injustice throughout the world.

Ian & Pat Fraser

Kingwood Common This beautiful place contains a mixture ofimportant habitats, including oak andbeech coppice, open heathland glades,three ponds and younger woodland ofmainly aspen, oak and birch – a desig-nated Local Wildlife Site.

Currently work by a dedicated group oflocal volunteers which includes footpathclearance, cutting back grass and brackenin the open heathland glades and scrapingto encourage new heathers, is not sustain-able - hence the proposal to produce amanagement plan for the future.

Using livestock to graze the vegetationgrowth in the open heathland glades will:

• Create good quality heathland, contain-ing a mixture of ages, species andgrowth stages of different species, e.g.heather, heath bedstraw and tormentil,providing good habitats. (Mechanicalequipment cuts to uniform heights, al-lowing grasses to dominate, whichcould cause the loss of important spe-cies that occur on Kingwood.)

• Involve a high capital outlay, with rela-tively small annual running costs.

• Permit volunteers to concentrate theirefforts on other areas of the commons.

Only around 6 cattle would be used fortwo grazing periods of approximately 6-8

weeks in Mar-May, and Sept-Nov.There is insufficient food to supportlivestock all year round and plants, likeheather, need time to flower and seed.

So far, numerous comments have beenreceived in response to the consultation,some expressing concern about grazing,others offering support; but more con-sultation is required.

Please come to drop-in events at Pep-pard Cricket Pavilion, which will showdetailed information about how grazingcould work on Kingwood and give youthe opportunity to ask questions:

• Thursday 16th July: 11:00-15:00• Tuesday 21st July: 18:00-22:00• Sunday 26th July: 13:00-17:00

For more information, please visit:www.nettlebed-commons.org

Jenni Hignett, Commons Project Officer

Clare’s Gates Clare Bailey was a founding memberof the Sonning Common HealthWalks, serving as one of the originalwalk leaders, and then as Secretary foralmost ten years. Following Clare’s

death last August, the Health Walkerswanted to mark her significant contribu-tion to the walks, and we decided thatreplacing one of the stiles on her favour-ite walk would be a fitting tribute. Gen-erous donations from the Health Walk-ers, plus additional funding from Ox-fordshire County Council, have made itpossible for us to replace two stiles onthe footpath from The Maltsters to CrossLane. Thanks also to the Green Gymwho kindly installed these gates for usas part of their countryside improvementprojects.

A special walk was held on 14th June toenjoy the new stile-free route from TheMaltsters through to the Dog GolfCourse.

Run, Walk or Toddle to Help Feed The Children

Serious or fun runners and enthusiasticleisure walkers are invited to help raisemoney for Feed The Children (UK), bytaking part in the annual Peppard Walkand Run starting at Greys Green GolfCourse, on Sunday 6th September. Forkeen athletes and fun runners there is a10k run, starting at 10.30 and for leisurewalkers and families (including the dog!),a slightly shorter 7k route starting at10.35. Registration is at 09.30.

Feed The Children need volunteers tohelp with this event. Can you help? Callthe number below.

For an official sponsorship form, pleasering 0118 932 0095. Those taking partcan download a registration form from thewebsite, www.feedthechildren.org.uk

Sue Hinton

Health Walks take place every day of theweek (except Bank Holidays). If youwould like a timetable of the walks, theseare available from the Health Centre, theLibrary and The Herb Farm or online atwww.sonningcommonhealthwalks.co.uk.or on www.PeppardNews.co.uk.

Chris Brook,0118 9242515

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Our Village

This page sponsored by

TANDOORIConnoisseur An Emporium of Indian Cuisine

Fully Air-conditioned Open 7 days a week, including bank holidays

Take-away menu - prompt service 21 Wood Lane, Sonning Common - Phone: 0118 972 3104/1054

Page 6

Beating the Bounds On Sunday 17th May, Tim Meikle led ahardy group to Beat the Parish Bounds.This ancient tradition is carried out to re-mind local inhabitants of the exact posi-tion of important boundaries, such as thatof the parish and common land within it.

As is the tradition, children were turnedupside down and had their heads ‘dippedtowards the ground’ to aid the memory!Hazel sticks were used to beat theBoundaries.

The group met on the Common outsidethe Red Lion pub and were sent on theirway in the time honoured tradition with aRogation tide prayer and blessing by theReverend Graham Foulis Brown. Al-though the sun didn't actually breakthrough, at least the rain stopped and wehad a great one and a half hour walkthrough the golf course over Dog Laneinto the woods to the east of the parishreturning along the fields and back pastthe parish church finishing at the RedLion.

It was great to meet old friends as well asnew faces and all agreed that, although itwas hard to be motivated on a rainy MaySunday, it was worth it to keep up thetradition; enjoy good company and freshair – Oh, and perhaps that pint at the end!

Tim Meikle

News from Greys Court On Friday 10th July, join the Custodian at18:30 for an outdoor tour of the buildingsof Greys Court and learn more about thehistory of this beautiful property. This willbe followed by delicious canapés andwine, included with the ticket, £15.

18th July, 18.45-22.00, sees Greys Court’sannual Music and Moonlight, a chance toenjoy a wide variety of music, from Clas-sical to Blue Grass, performed in the stun-ning garden; bring a picnic and dress upfor the occasion. Tickets £15.

On 7th August Illyria returns to performThe Three Musketeers, tickets adults £12,children £8, starting at 18:30. Bring a pic-nic, seating or rug.

Join us on the 13th and 14th August, 10.30,for our Creepy Crawlies Days, a chance tolook for various small creatures in thegarden, before joining the craft activities.An organic picnic lunch is included in theticket price for children. Please note chil-dren must be accompanied by an adult.Tickets £15.

On 21st August, at 18.30, we are joined byHeartbreak Productions for our final out-door theatre event Emma, based on theJane Austen classic, tickets adult £12,child £8; bring a picnic, seating or rug.

For all these events, advance booking isessential, via the National Trust ticketline on 0844 249 1895 or the websitewww.nationaltrust.org.uk/thamesandsolentevents .

One final event takes place on Saturday19th September, when we host our an-nual Apple Day starting at 12.00. Therewill be a chance to find out more aboutapples and apple trees and ask questions;craft activities available for children at asmall additional charge plus other activi-ties. Organic apples from the garden willbe on sale. Admission is included innormal admission charges.

Paul Williamson

competition between four local primaryschools, Badgemore, Kidmore End, Pep-pard and Sonning Common. SonningCommon triumphed and held the trophyaloft but all who took part received well-deserved medals.

An unusual and very popular attractionwas the climbing wall with 4 differentfaces to climb; queues all afternoon byintrepid children anxious to test theirclimbing skills. And yes, the huge bouncycastle reaching to the sky was back!

There were a host of other activities foryoung and old, including rides on Mattie,the pony, and a chance for children tohave a guided tour of a police Land Roverbristling with technology. There weremany games of chance and a variety ofproduce and craft stalls, not to mention theever-popular cake stall and BBQ. Hotdrinks in the tea tent were especiallypopular!

A welcome visitor to the Fair was ourlocal MP, John Howell, andhis wife, braving the showersand to quote him, ‘We’vehad a most enjoyable after-noon’. Everyone seemed toagree with this sentiment.

The enthusiasm of the exten-sive team of helpers whoignored the bad weathermade a telling contributionto the success of this event.The funds raised will benefitPeppard C of E PrimarySchool and All Saints’Church.

Ian Fraser

On Your Bike Sunday 26th April dawned. It was time todust off the bike, find those padded shorts,pump up those tyres, spray all movingparts with WD40 and tie on the gel sad-dles – yes, two in my case. It was the dayof the annual ‘On Your Bike’ event, ex-cellently organised by the Sonning Com-mon Primary School.

Our MP, John Howell, started the event aswe set off in groups intent on completingeither the short (6 mile) or long (12 mile)

Community Spirit Confronts the Elements

and Wins On 6th June, Peppard Village Fair was indanger of being washed away after

many hours of rain but, to the relief ofthe organising team, our local commu-nity rose to the occasion and came indroves. The huge car park was full anhour after the start.

Despite the constant drizzle, all agreed ithad been a great afternoon. The arenaevents took pride of place, with PeppardPrimary School opening with a song anddance performance of Fame and thechoir singing All That Jazz. There fol-lowed a very competitive tag rugby

Tag Rugby Teams

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Page 7

for Fresh flowers, Bouquets, Plants and more 0118 9721240

Wedding flowers Funeral tributes

Make a bee line to

BRAMBLES

New premises now open oppositevillage hall car park exit

42 Wood Lane, Sonning Common

FISH As in previous years, with summer nowin full swing, FISH is organising a num-ber of social days out on the big yellowbus. These trips are additional to theregular shopping, pub lunch, market andgarden centre visits. The photo shows agroup on a visit last year to Kew Gar-dens. We have also visited Savill Gar-dens and Wisley.

When you’re passing the Sonning Com-mon Village Hall, have a look at thecurrently planned trips or call us on0118 9723986 – our village hall office ismanned weekday mornings from 9.30–11.30. If the phone is engaged, leave amessage and someone will call youback.

Don’t forget our regular shopping tripsto Reading and Henley – most shopping

routes. It was a ride for all ages and Iknow quite a number of Peppard basedriders, and in some cases their passengers,enjoyed the experience.

The weather was kind – dry, yet not toohot. The outer reaches of the longer routewere just beyond the Black Horse pub,which in my case I have to admit, pro-vided refreshment of a non-alcoholic na-ture - it being the Sabbath!

The cycle ride provided an opportunity toappreciate the beauty of the area we livein: the wheeling kites, the bluebell car-peted woods and a young foal full of thejoys of spring.

The exothermic exercise and energy ex-pended in struggling uphill was more thanmatched by the euphoric exhilaration aswe stormed downhill with the draught inour faces.

Our thanks must go to the organisers andvolunteers who expertly marshalled, pro-vided refreshment and ensured the safetyof all riders.

For all cycling enthusiasts of all ages inPeppard, if you missed the event this year,be sure to sign up for it next year. ‘OnYour Bike’ will help your health espe-cially if it convinces you to carry on cy-cling.

Rob Crawshaw

News from the Library Rhymetimes have started! After a monthof consultation with prospective users,we decided that Monday mornings at10.00 would be the most appropriatetime to hold them. They will be on thefirst and third Mondays of each month.So over the summer Rhymetimes willtake place on: July 13th and 27th, andAugust 10th and 24th. We’ll then reviewthe situation again to see if we need tomake any changes. So if you have a babyor toddler, and you’re looking for some-thing to do with them at 10.00 on theabove dates, the library will be open espe-cially for you!

Our one-to-one Internet taster sessionshave proved particularly popular. Theinitial dates in May and June were bookedup quickly, so we are planning to holdmore in the autumn. Please tell librarystaff if you’d be interested in these inter-net sessions, so that we can contact you

when arranging future dates.

The Summer Reading Scheme for chil-dren will be starting on 4th July, and thisyear the theme is the Reading Quest.There are stickers, fridge magnets,bookmarks, pens, medals and certifi-cates to collect. All the children have todo is make three trips to the library overthe summer (between the beginning ofJuly and the middle of September) andread six books ... Not too difficult,surely?!

For more information about any of theseactivities, call in at the library in GroveRoad, or phone on (0118) 9722448.

Rosemary Dunstan

trips qualify for Bus Pass use – no petrol,no parking and door to door service. It’sthe same phone number for bus trips andfor organising a volunteer car driver totake you to that doctor’s or dentist’s visit.

FISH is always interested to hear fromfriends who would like to act as volunteerdrivers or man the office but at the mo-ment we really are looking for a specificperson. Our Bus Manager is retiring andwe need someone with the motivation toco-ordinate our Bus, its drivers and theschedule of trips. If you have even a slightinterest, call the above number and Reg,our current Bus Manager, will call youback and give you the lowdown.

Phil Clark

Police News The summer often sees an increase inhouse burglary, so it would seem timely toremind people about not leaving windowsopen, either overnight or when leavingyour property for a short time.

This time of year also sees an increase inthefts from sheds. Please permanentlymark your garden tools and lawnmowers

and keep a record of anymodel and serial num-bers. This not only makesthem easily identifiable,but will also help if youneed to make an insur-ance claim.

We are continuing to con-duct Speed Enforcementaround the Henley Ruralarea throughout the sum-mer.

The Henley Rural PubWatch now holds meet-ings every two months,sharing information in aneffort to reduce crime.

The date for the MonthlyPCSO Surgery will be arranged shortly,please look out for the posters or consultthe Thames Valley Police neighbourhoodwebsite www.thamesvalley.police.uk Wewill continue to hold them outside thevillage shop in Sonning Common duringthe summer; I look forward to meetingmembers of the community and discuss-ing any concerns they may have.

PCSO Janice Smith

The FISH bus outside Kew Gardens

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Our Churches All Saints’

Church of England

www.allsaintspeppard.org.uk

Rector: Revd Graham Foulis Brown 0118 972 3987Asst. Priest: Revd Barry Olsen 0118 924 2812

Churchwardens: Adrienne Heriot 01491 629254Toby Greenwood 0118 972 2861

Chelsea Gold Medalists for garden design.Also a haven for plant lovers.

On the A329, Newington, near Stadhampton, Oxon ~ Follow the tourist signs from every direction

NEWINGTON NURSERIES Specialists in unusual and tropical plantsNewington NurseriesTel: 01865 400533

www.newington-nurseries.co.uk

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UNIT 28, MANOR FARM, PEPPARD COMMON, RG9 5LB YOUR LOCAL GLASS AND GLAZING COMPANY

CALL FOR ADVICE & FREE QUOTATION CONTACT ANDY PARCELL

Tel: 01491 629901 Fax: 01491 629904 MOBILE: 07905 885608

PEMBROKE GLASS

From the Rectory ... Our June Discussion Group and many ofmy sermons recently have drawn on theremarkable report produced for the Chil-dren’s Society, A Good Childhood. Itreceived a lot of attention when it cameout a few months ago but it is importantthat it is not forgotten. It brings togetherall the latest research into childhood alongwith material from the Commission’s ownextensive consultations, in 178 pages ofreadable text.

The Report celebrates the good things.‘Our children are … more educated andless often sick than ever before. They aremore open and honest about themselvesand more tolerant of human diversity inall its forms. And they are more concernedabout the environment. We are proud ofour children and their accomplishments,and rightly so.’

But there are things that are not right –‘the commercial pressures they face, theviolence they are exposed to, the stressesat school, and the increased emotionaldistress.’ Our discussion group wasalarmed that amongst the developed coun-tries the United Kingdom comes close tobottom in many of the tables about ChildWell-being.

I’ve alluded to several things in sermons.There is the need for loving families inwhich boundaries are set by parents whoare firm but not dictatorial. Children needfriends; if they develop good friendshipsthey are on the way to happy and fulfilledlives. And children should be helped todevelop the spiritual qualities of wonderand inner peace – and the sense of some-thing greater than themselves.

More in future sermons! If you can’t come

along, then read the book!Barry Olsen

Election of Churchwardens The Annual Parochial Church meeting atAll Saints’ was preceded by a short Ves-try Meeting at which Adrienne Heriotwas re-elected to serve another year asChurchwarden and Toby Greenwoodwas elected to serve in place of PeterHutt who was not seeking re-election.

Peter Hutt Peter Hutt stood down as Churchwardenat this year’s Annual Meeting havingrelocated recently from Peppard to Tid-marsh. He had served as warden forfour years and been part of All Saints’for many years. In addition to duties asreader and sidesman, Peter has been onthe team of lay people who conductMorning and Evening Prayer and peri-odically has given the address at Morn-ing Prayer. He has been a member ofthe PCC since 1982 and was PCC vicechairman for 4 years. In paying tributeto Peter, Adrienne Heriot said how for-tunate she had been in working along-side Peter for her first year and benefit-ting from his wise guidance, quiet pro-fessionalism and positive but unassum-

Another Successful Concert On a beautiful evening at the end ofMay, Elizabeth French made a returnvisit to All Saints’ to play piano sonatasfor a very appreciative audience. Eliza-beth has an exceptional touch on thekeyboard and really makes the piano‘sing’. A retiring collection realised£300 for the Peppard Educational Trust.

ing approach to everything. Peter’s wife,Cynthia, also did much to support thechurch and ran the Junior Choir very suc-cessfully for seven years, as well as assist-ing the senior choir and stepping in to helpout by playing the organ when required.They will both be missed.

By Way of a Change This year there will not be the usual parishlunch to celebrate All Saints’ Day. In-stead there will be a Harvest lunch onSunday 27th September. Do make a noteof the date now.

Three Days in Oxford Eight junior choristers from All Saints’joined more than 70 others to attend athree day course run by the Royal Schoolof Church Music. Apart from learningnew music and improving their skills theyoung people had an enjoyable timewhich they will probably never forget.How many people have processed overMagdalen Bridge to sing Evensong inMagdalen College Chapel? Not some-thing you normally do! Well done choris-ters.

Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust

After having achieved outstanding resultsin recent years, the All Saints’ Churchteam of Riders and Striders is already intraining for this year’s event which willtake place on Saturday 12th September.The OHCT has just confirmed that thetotal amount raised from the 2008 eventwas a record of £116,246. Half of thistotal has been returned pro rata to over250 participating churches, with the otherhalf being used to fund churches in urgentneed of repair. All Saints’ team organiser,Ian Fraser, would welcome new teammembers - do contact him for further de-tails on 01491 629631.

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The Unicorn Kingwood Common

Tim & Steve thank the people of Rotherfield Peppard for their support, help and custom in making their dream come true.

01491 628 452

St Michael’s Catholic ChurchRevd Chris Bester 0118 972 3418

Revd Francis Andrews 0118 972 [email protected]

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Sonning Common Beauty Waxing—Manicure—Pedicure—Facials

Eyelash Perming & Tinting—Eyebrow ShapingBali Sun Airbrush Tanning

Gift vouchers available for all treatments

Tel: 01189 723059 Susan Duke ITEC

SPRUCE MAINTENANCE SERVICE

For all your property maintenance requirements including, decorat-ing inside and out, paper hanging, wall & floortiling, carpentry, hand painted kitchens and furniture, water dam-aged ceilings and Insurance work.

ROB SMITH TEL: 0118 972 4560

Revd Barry Kirk0118 972 4519

www.springwater.org.uk

Much of our lives parallel what is happen-ing in Mother Nature. So at this time ofthe year we can expect abundant and lushgrowth if we did some pruning in the au-tumn and early spring and if we also re-membered to do some planting at the ap-propriate time too. Within our parish com-munity we try to mirror the cycle andtempo of the seasons and to acknowledgethat we are firmly rooted on this goodearth.

In our Catholic worship we make use ofthe seasons to measure our own growthand progress in life. Lent was a time ofpruning – of clearing out the rubbish anddead growth in our lives. Now, in the af-terglow of Easter and Whitsun we arehappy to enjoy an abundant growth and

experience a sense of fulfilment andcontentment as a result of that painfulpruning all those months ago.

At this time of the year, it is mainly ouryoung children who are in the spotlight.Twenty-five made their first Commun-ion in May and later this month anothergroup will be Confirmed when ourBishop comes to visit us. These are ma-jor growth points in the lives of ouryoungsters and we hope and pray thatthey will be able to see these events asimportant markers for their developinglives, and go forward with confidence totheir futures.

When these events take place in theparish, we adults have the chance toreminisce about our own childhood ex-periences and reflect on what effectthose celebrations had on us not onlywhen we were young, but continue tohave, as we share with our children intheir great celebrations.

At the end of May, we gathered for ourParish AGM. These are never the mostexciting of events, but a very happy sharedlunch and BBQ meant that we came to themeeting in a spirit of fraternity and soli-darity as we looked back over the pastyear and made tentative plans for the fu-ture.

We note with some satisfaction that ournumerical strength is increasing and thepresence of young families and veryyoung children is a very hopeful sign for abright future. As more families move intoour lovely area we wish to ensure that weare able to support them in any way wecan and help them to enjoy the great bless-ings we all so often take for granted; ofliving in this marvellous country, and thisvery blessed part of it.

May we enjoy a marvellous summer, aswe all blossom and flourish and enjoy lifein all its fullness.

Fr Chris Bester

Shoe�Repairs� Dry�Cleaning� Alterations�Haberdashery� Knitting�Yarns�

Has�moved to�Occasions�23c�Wood�Lane,�Sonning�Common�

0118�972�3358/4890�

Village�Yarns�

There is no doubt that we live in excitingand changing times. This is not only trueof our country and our world, whereevents sometimes move at a breathtakingpace, but also in our small corner of Pep-pard at Springwater church. Following theretirement of Phil Cheale last year, thesearch for a new Senior Leader is pro-gressing well with a good number of ap-plicants coming forward for interview andselection. We hope to make the appoint-ment during the summer so that the newteam is ready and in place for the post-holiday season.

Ruth Elwell, who has looked after the

fabric of the church so well and caredfor the baby and toddler groups formany years, is moving on to a positionwith Nomad, again caring for the youthin this area. Our congratulations andsincere thanks to Ruth, who happilystays as an active member, and we wel-come Dean and Kelly Harris who willnow be taking care of the church and thegardens.

And yet, amidst all this change there arestrands of permanence and continuity.For example, at Whitsun this yearSpringwater (originally known as Provi-dence Chapel) celebrated its 214th anni-versary. As you stroll around the gar-dens and graveyard you can feel a strongsense of history and it is easy to imaginethe faithful folk of the late 18th centurymaking their way through the leafy lanes

to take part in the service at the chapel.And Whitsun, or Pentecost, reminds us ofthe coming of the Holy Spirit to the earlyChristians in Jerusalem which set thechurch on fire and on its explosive spreadthroughout the world. Pentecost is 50 daysafter Easter, when we celebrate the deathand resurrection of Jesus. This happenedat Passover which marks the miraculousdelivery of the Israelites from the Egyp-tians in 1450 BC, nearly 3500 years ago.

So as modern life swirls around us, andamidst the busyness of our daily activities,it is good to reflect on the true and lastingvalues found in the Bible and the thread ofGod’s love and mercy that is woventhroughout human history.

Chris Mills

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Clubs and Societies

Mike Farina Auto ServicesServicing, repairs and welding for all makes of vehicles

21 Sedgewell Road, Sonning CommonTelephone: 0118 972 4036

MOT tests arranged

Colin Porteousof Sonning Common

Taxi Service0118 972 2193

Peppard Relief in NeedA local safety net for helping those who have fallen on hard times

If you know someone who could do with a little financial help to getthem through a crisis, (or you need help yourself) please let us know.

Your call will be dealt with in total confidence - just telephoneSue Nickson (0118 972 4520) or Pat Fraser (01491 629631)

Page 10

THAMES VALLEY ANIMAL WELFARE Charity No: 900616

Has many beautiful and affectionate cats looking for loving homes. If you can give a home to any

of them, please call: 01189 721871/01494 484527 Or visit our website www.tvaw.org.uk

Peppard Cricket Club The season is now well under way andearly results for both league sides havebeen mixed to say the least. The 1st XI hascertainly not been ‘guilty’ of playing bor-ing cricket by managing to win or loseeach of their first five games but at leastthe margin is three to two in favour ofwins leaving them 3rd in the Premier Divi-sion of the Berkshire League. The 2nd XIhave found the move up to Division 3 adifficult step managing only one win intheir first four games leaving them 7th.

The Sunday XI however had been sweep-ing all before them, until recently, withfour wins to start off the season. The com-position of the team each week has gener-ally included five youngsters ranging from13–17, each of whom has contributed tothe success of the side. Anyone wishing tofollow the fortunes of the teams can ac-cess the Club’s website at http://peppard.play-cricket.com/home/home.asp.It is also possible to look at club resultsover the past nine years and view statisticsof the players and games completed.

Those of you who enjoy the walk by thecommon will agree that the whole settingfrom the playing square, the outfield andthe pavilion look an absolute picture nowand we can but hope that the weatherplays its part for the remaining games inthe season.

Ronnie Brock

Peppard WI At our Annual Meeting, our President,Irene Lindsay, was re-elected and MollyLindlaw, a past President and Treasurerand a very enthusiastic member, cut our90th anniversary cake. The cake featureda copy of the painting, presented by agrateful member in years gone by. Theoriginal still hangs in the hall.

Our Birthday Celebrations continue: avisit to The Mill to see Ben Travers’ TheBed before Yesterday; a visit to an ArtExhibition and a light lunch at the Wa-terfront Café at Benson in August, and atrip to Waterperry to admire theMichaelmas Daisy border, followed bytea, in September.

One of our last celebrations of the yearwill be our Open Afternoon in PeppardMemorial Hall on 14th October to whichEVERYONE is invited. Many of ourarchives, minute books, scrapbooks,

2nd Kidmore End Brownies Summer is upon us and we are alreadynearing the end of another busy Brownieyear. Most terms we work our waythrough a couple of badges. This term thefocus has been on Home-skills (maybe nottrendy but still very necessary) and Wild-life Explorer. The girls have learnt aboutthe insect world, the birds and mammalsaround us, and, as part of the badge sylla-bus, have visited the BBOWT WarburgReserve near Bix. To end the term with aflourish; we hope to hold a concert with anature theme and raise money for a naturecharity.

The term also marks the end of an era.After 25 years as Brown Owl, I am ‘flyingoff’ to pastures new. My Assistant Leader,Karen Broadbent and Unit Helper, Elea-nor Chettle, will be stepping down aftermore than 20 years; though stepping upinto a fresh role as a Ranger Guider andHelper for a new unit opening shortly forolder girls, 14+.

It has been a rewarding time for the threeof us and Wednesday evenings withoutBrownies will never be the same! I ampleased to say, however, that we leave thepack in the capable hands of Jess Higsonand her two assistants, Carole Townhill

Peppard Bowls Club Peppard Bowls Club had a very good re-sponse from the Open Day held in April.A dozen new members are now enjoyingbowling on Club afternoons, held onMondays and Thursdays from 14.00 to16.00 and Fridays from 18.00 throughoutthe season. Prospective bowlers are al-ways welcome. A full fixture list ofLeague and friendly games is well under-

way and we look forward to Peppard'sever-popular Gala Day on Sunday 9th

August from 10.30, when many localBowls Clubs will be represented to com-pete for the Shield.

Betty Freeman

banners, tablecloths, etc., will be on dis-play together with members’ own Art andCrafts. (You may find pictures of Grannyor Mum in our scrapbooks.) We also planto show you how the WI is moving for-ward into the C21st. Teas will be avail-able together with a traditional WI Cakeand Produce stall. Local businesses havepromised to donate prizes to a Grand Raf-fle. Any profits made will go to local goodcauses, including the Memorial Hall. Do,please try and join us for a while between14.00 and 17.00 that afternoon.

Irene Lindsay, President 0118 947 8392

Three WI Presidents: Pamela Davies, MollyLaidlaw and Irene |Lindsay

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Page 11

Everything you need for

your pets and wild birds Food & Accessories

Friendly personal service with lots of parking Southlea House, Blounts Court Road

Sonning Common

Computer Problems?Is your PC misbehaving? Fault Diagnosis, Maintenance &Upgrades, Broadband, Networking, Data Recovery &Migration, Virus Cleaning, and much more.

Phone Robin Piercey at Influential Computers on 01491680036, or visit www.influentialcomputers.com.

and Laura Muncer. It can only go fromstrength to strength.

For information contact Jess Higson 01189723026

Ros Jennings

Peppard Lawn Tennis Club Situated behind the Red Lion Pub, wehave started a new coaching programmefor adults and children this season. Withthe professional help of Ash Taylor andhis team (Attack Tennis), we can nowprovide a comprehensive junior coachingprogramme with classes running afterschool during the week as well as at week-ends. Exciting Summer Camps are organ-ised during the School holidays by JamesBrannan.

Adults are provided for too; we have La-dies’ sessions on Wednesday and Fridaymornings and a Rusty Racket session onWednesday evening between 19.30.and21.00. We also have our normal club ses-sions on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursdayevenings at 18.30. See our websitewww.attacktennis/peppard.co.uk or tel.Ash on 07961 127 741.

Kim Fry

Special Events for RDA Many of the riders at Riding for the Dis-abled (RDA) had the chance to enter a realdressage competition this spring, organ-ised by the dedicated team of volun-teers at Wyfold. Annette Allport, ex-chairman of the Riding Club and anexperienced dressage rider herself,judged the competition, which wasarranged in four sections: ‘walkonly’ (lead and un-lead) and ‘walkand trot’ (lead and un-lead). It was afun week for everyone involved; sixgroups took part and everyone re-ceived a rosette. Several riders madegood progress with their riding skillsduring the preparations, including mov-

ing off, steering, turning, trotting andhalting. A dressage exercise usually lastsa few minutes, during which the horseand rider form controlled geometric pat-terns in the arena.

Magic, Wyfold’s smallest pony, com-peted in fancy dress at the RoyalWindsor Horse Show this year, wherethere were two classes for people withdisabilities. Cameron Eames with vari-ous helpers rode Magic, dressed in anIncey Wincey Spider theme, and came8th out of 12. Helen Towner came 6th inthe driving class, and a chatty PrincePhilip presented rosettes.

Also in Windsor, Basil and Magic wenton a sponsored drive through the GreatPark; an open event. The day was veryenjoyable and raised money for variouscharities.

Alison Stodolnic, a Rider’s parent 0845 450 7017

Peppard Flat Earth Society The spring and early summer has been avery busy period for the society, botheducationally and socially. First a visitwas made to the Cross Ness PumpingStation, (anyone into sewage or largebeam engines, it’s a must), although theabsence of the jetty was somewhat amystery; maybe it was washed away bythe tides? Our re-creation of the tale byJKJ up and down the Thames from

Shiplake to Temple Island and back wasenjoyable, as was the lunch, but theweather would have been better had westuck with our original date. Lastly a visitorganised by the Navigator to the Car Mu-seum at Bourton-on-the-Water, followedby the Wellington (Aircraft) Museum atMoreton- in-Marsh was exceptional,marred only by the appearance of an oldsoldier two days early; why wasn’t he acasualty in Normandy? And I admit I hadone or two poignant moments in the gar-den of the Wellington. Visits may besomewhat curtailed for the rest of thesummer, as Wat Tyler said many yearsago, the wives are revolting.

Terry Ryan

The Edge Youth Club The Edge Youth Club is for young peoplefrom the Chiltern Edge School catchmentarea. The Parish Council funds an eveningfor 11-13 year olds. At present the cluboperates on two nights a week but it ishoped to extend to a third night. The cluboffers a wide range of activities includingfootball, badminton, netball or rounders inthe sports hall or on the field, table tennisor pool in the club area or various quieteractivities. The club can only operate atthis level with the aid of adult volunteerswho assist with one or more of the activi-ties. The Tuck-shop is an important fea-ture of the club for which older volunteers

can be invaluable by releasing youngerhelpers for other tasks. If you can’tcommit to regular attendance then per-haps a team of two friends could agreeto cover the Tuck-shop for one eveninga week. The aim is to provide a safeenvironment for young people to social-ise and have fun.

Interested? Contact Ketlin Varkki 0118972 4418, 07866509329, [email protected].

Robin Hunter Pete Ballard Jack Stanger Dan Seymour Jim Smith Ian HeriotPete Taylor Bill Wilkes Terry Ryan Alan Smith Dave Watson

Photo courtesy of Dave Watson

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CHURCH SERVICES

NEW WASTE COLLECTION SERVICE

Sunday Services at Springwater(Peppard Congregational Church)

Family Service: 10.30 - 11.45 � Sunday School 10.30 - 11.30

Mass at St Michael’s Roman Catholic Church�Monday-Friday 09.00�

Saturday 17.30 � Sunday 09.00 & 10.30

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Trade CounterBishopsland Farm, Peppard Road, Dunsden, Reading RG4 9NR

Tel: 0118 972 2028 Fax: 0118 972 4559

PEPPARD BUILDING SUPPLIES

JULYSat 4 Summer Reading Scheme/SC Library/01189722448 Mon 10 Rhymetimes Babies & Toddlers/SCLibrary/10.00Sun 5 Circle Dancing/Christ the King/15.30-17.00 Mon 10 RPPC Planning/Pavilion/20.15Mon 6 FISH Garden Centre Outing/13.30/details FISH office Tue 11 Mobile Library – see below for time & place

6 RPPC Planning/Pavilion/20.15 11 Citizens Advice Bureau/SC Surgery/01491 578267Wed 8 WI/Garden Party/14.30 Thu 13 Creepy Crawlies Day/Greys Crt/10.30/0844 2491895Fri 10 Historical Tour/Greys Ct/18.30/0844 2491895 Fri 14 Creepy Crawlies Day/Greys Crt/10.30/0844 2491895Sat 11 Hort Soc/50th Anni Boat Trip & tea at R & R Museum Thu 20 FISH Pub Lunch/11.30/details FISH officeMon 13 Rhymetimes Babies & Toddlers/SC Library/10.00 Fri 21 Heartbreak Emma/Greys Ct/18.30-22.00/0844 2491895

13 RPPC Council Meeting/Pavilion/19.30 Sat 22 Nettlebed Art Show/N’bed Sch Comm Hall/12.30-21.0013 RPPC Planning/Pavilion/21.30 Sun 23 Nettlebed Art Show/Ne’bed Sch Comm Hall/10.00-17.00

Tue 14 Mobile Library – see below for time & place Mon 24 Rhymetimes Babies & Toddlers/SCLibrary/10.0014 Citizens Advice Bureau/SC Surgery/01491 578267 Tue 25 Mobile Library – see below for time & place

Wed 15 Peppard Lunch Club/Mem Hall/12.00 25 RPPC Planning/Pavilion/20.15Thu 16 K’wood Cmn Conservation Consult/Pav/11-1500 SEPTEMBER

16 FISH Pub Lunch/11.30/details FISH office Wed 2 Peppard School term startsFri 17 Peppard School term ends Sat 5 Hort Soc Autumn Show/C Edge/15.00/0118 9723245Sat 18 Music & Moonlight/Greys Ct/18.45/0844 2491895 Sun 6 Feed the Children 10K run/Greys Grn Golf Club/09.30Mon 20 Henley Fringe Festival starts 6 Circle Dancing/Christ the King/15.30-17.00Tue 21 K’wood Cmn Conservation Consult/Pav/18-22.00 Mon 7 FISH Garden Centre Outing/13.30/details FISH officeFri 24 Moth Night/Greenshoots/01491628933 Tue 8 Mobile Library – see below for time & placeSat 25 Henley Fringe Festival ends 8 Citizens Advice Bureau/SC Surgery/01491 578267Sun 26 K’wood Cmn Conservation Consult/Pav/13-17.00 Wed 9 WI/40 yrs’ catching smugglers/14.30/Mem HallMon 27 Rhymetimes Babies & Toddlers/SCLibrary/10.00 Mon 14 RPPC Council Meeting/Pavilion/19.30

27 RPPC Planning/Pavilion/20.15 14 RPPC Planning/Pavilion/21.30Tue 28 Mobile Library – see below for time & place Wed 16 Peppard Lunch Club/Mem Hall/12.00AUGUST Thu 17 FISH Pub Lunch/11.30/details FISH officeSun 2 Circle Dancing/Christ the King/15.30-17.00 Sat 19 Hort Soc/Knoll Gdns & Kingston Lacey/0118 9723245Mon 3 FISH Garden Centre Outing/13.30/details FISH office 19 Apple Day/Greys Ct/12.00/0844 2491895Fri 7 Illyria Three Musketeers/Greys Ct/18.30/0844 2491895 Tue 22 Mobile Library – see below for time & placeSat 8 Police Open Day/10-16.00/01865 846699 Sat 26 RPPC Planning/Pavilion/10.00Sun 9 Peppard Bowls Club Gala Day/10.30 Sun 27 All Saints’ Harvest FestivalMobile Library – time & place – Peppard School 11.55 – 12.10 FISH Office: 0118 9723986 ((Mon-Fri, 09.30-11.30)Green Gym: Robin Howles – 0118 9723528 Peppard Lunch Club: Sally Longhurst 0118 9722808

Sunday Servicesat All Saints’

JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER NOTES

5 12 19 26 2 9 16 23 30 6 13 20 272

1 Sung Eucharist – BeneficeService at Kidmore End

2 Harvest ThanksgivingBack to Church Sunday

09.00 Communion � � � � � � � � � � � � �10.30 Communion (sung) � � � � 1 � �10.30 Matins � � �10.30 Family Service � � �10.30 Sunday School � � �18.30 Evensong � � � � � � � � � � � � �

Month July August September

Date 1st 8th 15th 22nd 29th 5th 12th 19th 26th 3rd 9th 16th 23rd 30th

Recycling/Gdn Wste � � � � � � �

Waste � � � � � � �

Food waste will be collected weekly. Please see SODC leaflets delivered with your new bins for more informationStatic attended Dustcarts have been discontinued.

Peppard Diary